Welcome, summer!! I am so excited to get outside and stay outside as often as we can. To stave off the potential of “I will do that tomorrow” and then never do anything, I made the ultimate summer bucket list for 2019. Read on for my top activities to take full advantage of the long days and warm nights.
Experiment with makeup and fashion
I love a good natural look as much as the next gal, but it is summer! This season is the perfect time to experiment with your makeup and clothes. Steer away from the same neutral formulas and black fashion pieces. Choose a bold coral lip, an orange eyeshadow, a different hairstyle, or a colorful striped sundress. Make it your mission this mission to experiment with makeup and fashion, and HAVE FUN!
Host a brunch with friends
Summer mornings are always more fun in the company of friends. Invite your gals over and ask them to make their favorite brunch recipe to bring along, essentially turning your brunch invitation to a fun potluck brunch. Make your favorite mimosa cocktails and enjoy good food and good company!
Majorly shake up your fitness routine
I am talking about more than just trading the treadmill with the outdoors and sunshine. Check out classes or activities that will stretch you, like yoga or a hip-hop dance class. Get your heart pumping in a whole new way and bring some gals along for your summer sweat sesh!
Perfect an alcohol-infused lemonade recipe
Forget your typical gin tonic or pinot noir and experiment with the refreshing flavors of the season like an adult take on your childhood favorite, or adding produce like watermelon, berries, and mint to your go-to cocktails.
Read at least 3 non-fiction books you wouldn’t normally choose
Need a good beach read or looking to put together your comprehensive summer reading list? Instead of the usual romance novels or psychological thrillers, pick up a non-fiction book. Choose the autobiography of someone you admire or a book covering a topic you don’t know much about. Also think about the self-help books available that cover subjects you may need help in whether it is about mindfulness, relationships, or is work-related. Wear your sunscreen, find a nice shade under a beach umbrella, order a cocktail and read, read, read.
Make your own healthy popsicles
Summer is synonymous with popsicles! Empower yourself with healthier options, using the freshest ingredients for the same satisfying and refreshing taste. Purée your favorite fresh fruit, combine berries with greek yogurt and honey, or make your own green juice popsicle by blending leafy greens, cucumber, ginger, and celery. Add mixtures in popsicle molds, and freeze for six hours. Bonus: if you stuck one of these in a glass of Prosecco!
Go to an outdoor concert
Pause your Spotify, take off your headphones, and listen to your music live this season. Whether going to a music festival or to your favorite band’s concert, buy your tickets ahead of time because an outdoor concert might just be the highlight of your summer.
Grow your own herbs
I am doing this every summer and it is one of the highlights of my summer. I am encouraging everyone I know to grow their own herbs. There is something so fulfilling about reaching for a few fresh herbs off your balcony or garden to use in a summer recipe or cocktail. I have basil, thyme, and rosemary for cooking, mint for mojitos, and lavender for DIY beauty projects.
Spend a weekend learning a new skill
Is there something you have always wanted to know how to do but just never have gotten around to learning how to do it? Maybe it is a skill that will advance your career like photoshop or a hobby you have always been interested in like baking. Spend a weekend perfecting and practicing your skill or use online classes for things like photography, design, or creative writing. Happy learning!
Spend a day being a tourist in your city
You know the sights you see only when family or friends come to town and you secretly hate them because they crowded and just so basic? Change your perspective and make them all your own! Spend a Saturday afternoon doing all of the classic insert-your-city-here activities. You might find yourself reminiscing over old memories of visits past, and making new ones on your own.
Make a summer playlist
What songs remind you of summer? The songs that when you hear them it brings you back to your college days or childhood days on holiday? Make a playlist of all your favorite summer songs to listen to while you soak up the sun.
Host a barbeque
If you don’t host a lot of parties, now is the time to break out of your comfort zone and become the hostess with the mostest. The season calls for a carefree vibe, and buying a stack of burgers or steaks and preparing a few classic side dishes can be especially affordable. If you don’t have a backyard or a grill, forget the grill and make a taco bar. Just don’t forget the cold beers and rosé!
Plan to save $1,000 by the end of the summer
While summer is all about fun and games, it is also about getting your life together and achieving your goals. Budgeting yourself to put away $1,000 in a few months is actually easier in the summer. Try walking instead of hopping into a taxi, making your own iced coffee instead of picking up Starbucks, pausing your gym membership for outdoor workouts, or enjoying a bottle of wine with friends at your patio instead of going to happy hour. Just keep in mind that little things add up, and summer is full of free activities like heading to the beach or going on a hike.
Take a detox from technology
You know that a tech detox should be a part of your wellness routine year round, but what better time to get serious about your screen time than during summer? Turn your phone on silent and keep it at the bottom of your beach bag, or challenge yourself to a three-day detox on your summer vacation. Trust me, Instagram can wait! Get outdoors, live in the moment, and keep off your phone already!
Summer-clean your home
Sure, you have heard of spring cleaning, but now it’s time to summer-clean your home. Clean off your patio/balcony or any outdoor part of your home, and go through your pantry to clean out any unhealthy or processed foods since summer is all about fresh ingredients. Add fresh flowers and house plants; trade darker accents with more colorful pillows, throws, and home accessories; and switch out your bedding for lighter or linen sheets. Don’t forget to fill your home with a signature scent.
Cut one plastic consumption from your life
Whether it is swapping plastic straws for stainless steel straws, trading in paper towels for reusable wipes, or using a cotton bag to carry your produce instead of grocery bags, make an effort to make at least one reusable swap you can stick to all summer long. To live even more sustainably this summer, bring a reusable cup to Starbucks to fill up your iced coffee, carry around a refillable water bottle with you everywhere, and walk or bike instead of driving. Whatever way you want to challenge yourself to live more sustainably, stick to it through the entire summer, and feel empowered knowing how a little goes a long way.
image sources: Half Baked Harvest // Khoollect // The Glitter Guide // The EveryGirl // @mikutas // @thebamboobrushso
